Easy Fix for Ugly Drawers

This is one of the drawer interiors AFTER I cleaned it up. All the drawers are in similar or worse shape. It's not something I would want to put my clothes in! My plan is to line the drawer bottoms with a pretty fabric, but first I need a clean surface to work with.

I applied two coats of a stain blocking primer. Unfortunately, some of the stains were persistent and bled through the primer. I was worried that the stains might also later bleed through my fabric, so I touched up the stained areas with two additional coats of clear shellac. That did the trick! Next I applied two coats of white paint to the drawer interiors.

After measuring the drawers, I cut the fabric and then set it in place. (I've summarized the process here, but please visit my blog post for more tips on getting a professional result!) Next I carefully lifted and folded half the fabric over and applied Mod Podge (affiliate link) evenly over the surface. I smoothed the fabric back into place and then repeated the process for the other half.

Even if careful measurements are taken, not every drawer is perfectly square. So make sure the fabric in the front is lined up as precisely as possible and let any imperfections in the alignment happen in the back of the drawer which is never really seen.

Now the drawers are not only clean and fresh but beautiful, too! I don't have a link for the actual fabric, but the brand is Waverly.

Refurbishing the drawers was the key element of this project. But the rest of the dresser received a makeover, too. If you're interested in learning more I would like to invite you to stop by my blog to see the full project.

(A note regarding the price estimate: I purchased the fabric for less than $10. The other materials were items I had on hand, but I think you could definitely complete this project for less than $50. The time estimate is just that -- an estimate. It does not include dry time.)